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Family, stars help honor Posey for NL MVP Award

Bruce Bochy, Jeff Kent and Buster Posey all discuss Posey winning 2012 National League MVP honors and look ahead to the '13 campaign

By Willie Bans
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Special to MLB.com |

SAN FRANCISCO -- For having a reputation as being the kind of guy who wouldn't even want a cake on his birthday, Buster Posey is going to have to get used to this.

Alongside his parents, grandparents, wife, two children, four former Giants National League MVPs and in front of a warm AT&T Park crowd, Posey got his NL MVP and Silver Slugger Awards during a pregame ceremony Saturday near the pitcher's mound.

There were also video highlights and a speech by Jeff Kent, the 2000 NL MVP for the Giants. During Posey's speech, he thanked his wife, his parents, his family, his coaches and his current teammates, who watched the ceremony from the dugout. Lastly, he thanked the fans, most of whom had Posey bobbleheads from the game's giveaway.

He earned the MVP award for his remarkable comeback 2012 season in which he returned from a devastating leg injury to win the NL batting title (.336 average), hit 24 home runs and 103 RBIs, and record a .408 on-base percentage and .549 slugging percentage.

In manager Bruce Bochy's view, there will be a career full of Buster's special days. After all, Posey is only 26.

"This guy is going to be talked about for a long time," Bochy said. "At his age to accomplish what he has already is truly amazing."

In 2012, not only did Posey help lead the Giants to their second World Series in three years, he also took home the Silver Slugger and the Hank Aaron Award as the league's best offensive player.

"I've been fortunate to be doing this for a while, managed some great players," Bochy said before the second game of the three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. "But he's as good as I've had and I just think we're all going to enjoy watching this ceremony."

On May 25, 2011, against the Marlins, Posey suffered a broken left fibula and three torn ankle ligaments during a home-plate collision with Scott Cousins. What Posey did on the field --- the statistics, mainly --- is just as valuable as what he did off the field, according to pitcher Matt Cain.

"I think it's more of what he does off the field, more as a teammate," Cain said. "He's a guy you can talk to any time -- I think anybody can. He'll be straightforward usually. He's just a good teammate, and he finds ways to win and finds ways to help guys get better."

Willie Bans is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.